Predator in the Tank
by Emerald-Shadow-Knight
Summary: Just another day for Shark Racket. Went to school, looked for a job, came home, found his family dead...wait, what?
1. Taking the Bait

If you know me from my Hetalia fanfics, well, I hope you'll read this as well. (I'll still update them, don't worry.)

The Sims in story are all from Twinbrook, from Sims 3: Ambitions.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sims 3. That belongs to EA (and I'm guessing Maxis, as well. Not really sure how that all works).

* * *

"Mister Racket, must I repeat the question?" The stern, curmudgeonly teacher tapped her ruler against her hand, looking upon the snoozing teenager. She knew the poor kid probably hadn't had any sleep lately, but that was no excuse to sleep in.

"Mister Racket?" Shark stayed asleep, as though he couldn't hear her. It wasn't until he was poked in the back by one of his classmates that he snapped back to reality.

"Really, young man. You're to graduate this year, and you're still unable to stay awake in my class?" Shark stared up at the teacher rather sleepily. "Let's hope that 'family business' of yours somehow helps you in the long run, hm?"

As the teacher went back to doing what she was paid to do, Shark stared up at her, still sleepy, but now a bit annoyed. She may have thought he was a lazy bum who slept in all the time, but at least he actually came to school. He came to school today, unlike that spoiled brat Lolly.

Shark hated his sister so damn much. The only reason she got out of school today was because she was supposedly coming down with a stomachache. He knew she was faking, but of course their parents believed her anyway. Damn her.

So here the teen was, listening to the teacher drone away, and reminding himself to pick up his sister's homework. Hard to do, since this class could literally put him into a deep sleep.

...

After school got out for the day, Shark made his way downtown to the Day Spa. He had been checking in town to see if anyone was willing to hire him, but so far, no luck. He would rather prefer to do whatever his family was doing, but he had to start somewhere.

"Hello?" Shark opened the door, and was almost immediately hit with numerous fragrant smells. The abrupt contrast in odors caused him to cough and made his eyes water. Seeing the receptionist desk empty, he found himself going into the back.

"Anyone here?" He looked around, not seeing any other workers, except one in the far back, folding clothes. "Amy? That you?" The worker stopped, and looked behind her. Her pigtails and flashy outfit were impossible to mistake.

"Shark!" Amy ran over, stumbling about halfway, and gave Shark a hug. "What brings you here?"

"Well..." The teen scratched the back of his head. "I was wondering if you have any job openings here." He tried his best to put up a dorky smile. Amy straightened up, her face now deep in thought.

"Hrmm...Well, let me think." Amy was quiet for a few seconds. She looked at him and smiled. "Tell you what. Come by around this time tomorrow, and I'll see what I can do. I'd be glad to have someone help me in this place."

The older woman gestured to the piles of laundry behind them. "Right now this isn't exactly a dream come true. Your grandpa was supposed to come in today, but I'm guessing he forgot. He really needs to get in soon, though. Otherwise...well, you getting a job here would be guaranteed, let's put it at that."

Shark nodded, then turned to leave. Before he could, though, Amy stopped him.

"Oh, Shark!" She walked over to her carrying bag on one of the tables, and pulled out something on a coat hanger. "Try this on when you get home. If you ask me, that navy camouflage of yours is..."

"So last month?"

Amy snorted. "More like last decade! I think this outfit might work better on you. Now, get on home. I don't want you to be getting in trouble with your folks or anything."

The two waved goodbye. Amy returned to her rather arduous task, and Shark walked all the way back home.

...

"I'm home! And I got your homework, Lolly! You lazy, airheaded moron." Shark dropped his backpack and Amy's outfit onto the nearest chair as he called out to his family. He knew he'd probably not get an answer, but he was used to that.

Oddly, the house was unusually quiet. Normally there was yelling and maybe a brawl going on in the living room, but the place was dead silent.

"Hello?" The teen walked through the empty rooms."Mom? Grandma? Uncle Bill? Where is everybody?"

All the lights were off, giving the house an abandoned look. The only sound he could hear was the sound of the kitchen's drippy faucet. Looking through the entire house, Shark found himself outside, in front of the pool.

It was getting a little hard to see, but he saw something floating in the water. Shark thought it was just one of Lolly's inflatable pool floats, though.

The boy took a pool net, and tried to poke it back to the other side of the pool. It didn't budge. Shark simply poked harder. Out of frustration, he threw down the net and went to turn the outside lights on.

He wished he hadn't. As soon as the backyard lit up, he saw everything illuminated. The supposed pool float wasn't a pool float at all.

Most pool floats didn't look like his sister face-down in the water, anyway. Shark saw his sister's drowned corpse, with one leg still in the water. He shoved his face in the water and looked into the pool. It looked as though her feet were tied to a cinderblock, and one leg somehow got free.

The rest of the Racket family were down in the cold blue depths with her. Everyone seemed to stare back at him, with obviously no signs of life coming from any of them. Each one also was hunkered down by concrete.

Shark jumped back, frightened out of his wits. All six of his family members...drowned. He shrieked with pure terror, followed by him doubling over and hurling. With the image forever burned into his mind, Shark stumbled back into the house. He grabbed the house phone and dialed the first number he could think of.

"Hello?" The teen was too shocked to speak coherently, before sputtering out, "Amy."

"Shark? What's going on?" Shark frantically explained what happened in the short time he'd been home. "Oh, okay! I'll be right there. Don't go anywhere, all right?"

After she hung up, Shark was alone in the dark house. He huddled into the fetal position, crying out of fear. The time before Amy arrived felt like an eternity.

The boy was an utter, sobbing wreck by the time she got there.

* * *

R&R? I know it's not Hetalia, but…

If I didn't make sense at any point in this, tell me, and I'll fix it. It was mostly written late at night, and early in the morning, so that could be a contributing factor.

-Emerald-Shadow-Knight


	2. Demoted To Remora

Disclaimer: Sims 3 belongs to EA (and I guess Maxis).

* * *

Shark sat in a chair with his knees up to his chest. He hadn't left the police station since he got here. He could hear them. He heard the officers in the other room. There was talk of what time the family would be buried, what would be done with the house, where was Shark going to go, the works.

The teen hid his face when he heard a door open. The sound of high heels approached him.

"Shark?" The female voice confused him. Shark looked up, and saw her standing there.

"Amy!" Shark jumped at the sight of her. Amy simply sat down beside him, looking at him as she straightened her skirt.

"How you holding up in all this?" Shark regained his composure, and shrugged. He mumbled something she didn't quite hear. "What was that?" He said it again, this time a little louder.

"Should've been me." The boy hid his face again, and Amy was confused at his statement.

"What do you mean by that?" Shark, at this point, simply readjusted himself and leaned his head against the wall.

"If anyone was supposed to drown with everyone, it should've been me!" Amy put her hands on his shoulders, as a means to calm him down. Judging by how he ignored it, it wasn't working too well.

"Shark, come on, don't say that..." He stood up.

"Lolly was a brat, but she didn't have to die! I hated her, but I didn't hate her that much!" Shark was lost in his angry tirade. "Who goes and kills someone's entire family like that? What did they do? If what they did was so bad, why didn't I die with them?!"

Amy flinched. She was well aware of what the Racket family was known for. She never mentioned it in front of Shark, though. She felt it was best for him to figure it out himself. She watched as he released his anger. When he was finally done, she brought him back to his chair.

The woman wasn't sure what she could say to make anything better. Her young friend Shark, once a part of the richest family in Twinbrook, had now become orphaned, and could very well lose everything.

There was one time Amy recalled visiting the house. It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

...

_Amy rang the doorbell to the enormous Racket Mansion. She looked at the paper she was given, to make sure she had the right address._

_The addresses matched, 53 Puddlewick Drive. Maybe no one was home. Amy was about to turn and leave, when the door swung open. She was met with a woman in a bathrobe, smoking a cigarette and glaring. She figured the girl she was looking for was here, and this was her mother._

_"Who're you?" The raspy voice and appearance indicated that the years were not exactly kind to her. Looking at her, Amy couldn't help but wonder what this woman's story was._

_"Um...Hello. I'm Amy Bull. Is Lolly here?" The woman looked at her as if she just said she had two heads. "She's likely your daughter?" Amy verified._

_"I have a daughter?" The younger woman rolled her eyes. Something told her this person wasn't exactly parent material._

_"Look, may I please come in, ma'am?" The woman looked at her for a moment longer, then moved out of the way, letting Amy through. As the two came into the foyer, a bearded man appeared._

_"Close the damn door, Silver! You want the heat to go out?" The older woman sneered at him, in a playful way._

_"Oh, now you hush up, Dennis. You know it don't bother you none." Amy made her way through the house on her own. She figured she was here, she may as well have a look around._

_What she saw unnerved her. One room had an old man shouting at someone else. The young woman recognized him as one of her co-workers. Another room had an old woman smoking a cigar and singing to herself, surrounded by countless piles of money._

_Amy felt shivers go down her back, until she came to a hallway that had two doors open. She peeked into one, and saw a boy playing video games shirtless. When he looked up and saw her, his face became weird, and suggestive. He waved to her, wiggling his fingers._

_She wasn't entirely sure what to do, so she waved back. The teen went back to his game when she did, but Amy could've sworn he was blushing._

_"Amy!" She turned around, and saw the girl she was looking for. "You're here!"_

_"Hey, Lolly!" The two ladies smiled. "Ready to go?"_

_Lolly nodded. Her big mouth was curved in a grin so bright, it could make the sun look like a chintzy lightbulb. "I'm always ready! Oh, but first..." She looked over Amy's shoulder, and blew a raspberry at the other teen in the room._

_Amy heard him return the favor, and he did something else that made Lolly go, "oh, real mature, Shark!" She shook her head, and looked back at the other woman. "Sorry, just my brother, he's not that important. Come on, Amy!"  
_

_The two went back downstairs, walking past Lolly's parents doing...something involving the mother counting cash. _

_Despite what Lolly said, Amy couldn't help but wonder about the boy named Shark. He was on her mind the whole time in town._

_..._

Amy went to the water cooler to get a drink for her and Shark. The poor kid was inconsolable, even with her help. She understood why, though. Anyone who lost their family, regardless of their relationship with them, wasn't easy.

The woman leaned against the wall, casually sipping from her cup, looking around the office. It didn't seem to be very busy. Then again, Twinbrook wasn't exactly a law-abiding town.

Despite a lack of on-duty police, Amy saw a face she did recognize. Well, the only other face there besides her.

"Hey, Officer Goode," she said to the young man at the desk. He looked up at her, startled to the point he scrawled all over the paper he was working on. He tried hiding his mistake with his hat, revealing his short white hair.

"Amy! Um...hello, there. I-I thought you were the boss." His eyes bulged out, before he calmed down and put his hat back on. "You know, you don't have to be so formal with me. We're friends, right?"

"Oh, all right...Goodwin," she said, chuckling and crossing her arms.

"So what brings you here?" Goodwin said, with a little smile. "You're not thinking of giving up your stylist dreams, are you?"

Amy shook her head, her pigtails against the sides of her face. "Nah. I'm here for moral support." Amy pointed behind her shoulder, towards Shark, who was still brooding. "You know, whole death thing and all..."

"Oh..." The man's face fell. "Well, if you ever change your mind, we're always looking for new recruits!" His face suddenly lit up, all hopeful. "It would be much less cumbersome for us here!"

Amy smiled, but that smile faded when she noticed something on Goodwin's face. She leaned in, staring intently, seeing that the skin around his eye appeared to be discolored.

"What's that on your face?" She pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket, and against his protests, dabbed away at his face. Amy cleaned it all off, revealing a black eye on the poor man's face.

"Goodwin," she said in an exasperated tone of voice. "Does Jenni know?"

"No! P-please, don't tell her! It wasn't his fault his time, I swear!" Amy wasn't buying it.

"Why do you still live with him, Goodwin? Why do you put up with his crap? Can't you just move in with someone else?"

Goodwin looked down at the floor, his cheeks coloring with shame. "If not me, then he might hurt someone else! At least, I think he might. This way, I can take when he gets angry from work. I can take it, I swear! I've taken it before."

"Oh, Goodwin..." The two were interrupted by the door behind them opening. Goodwin's partner entered, tipping his ten-gallon hat off to the other two.

...

"Evenin', Officer Goode, Miss Bull." Dudley Racket greeted his colleague and his friend. "I apologize for the both of you being here so late." Both younger adults shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders.

"It's nothing too bad, sir," Amy said. "Shark was in such distress at what he found." Dudley nodded, and looked at his nephew. Shark looked over at them, and upon seeing Dudley, looked away from them. His initial sadness and confusion turned to anger.

"I reckon he ain't too happy at seein' me, is he?" Dudley moved out of the Racket mansion when Shark was quite young. Neither of them had much interaction in the years after that, and when they did, they were full of vitriol and hateful words. The man wasn't surprised at this.

"What did the boss tell you?" Amy and Goodwin listened closely as Dudley gave the news. The older man took his hat off and scratched his head. He bit the side of his lip as he gave the verdict.

"According to Officer Sargeant, it was ruled that Shark is best left in the hands of his relatives. And since I'm guessin' I'm the only one left..." Shark himself looked back up in horror. He shook his head, knowing full well he couldn't stand his uncle.

"You think you can handle it?" Amy said. Dudley shrugged. He had a hard enough time taking care of himself, but he wasn't one to disobey orders from the higher-ups. That, and it wasn't like Shark was a little kid that needed 24/7 supervision.

"I gotta do what I gotta do, you know?" Shark mockingly mouthed the words, then sat back and looked cross. If this was what happened to him, he'd rather have stayed home and have...whatever happened to everyone.

...

The next day was, thankfully, Saturday. Well, maybe not thankfully, since today was the funeral.

To say the least, it majorly sucked. Shark was standing there, alone. Dudley and Amy were standing a good distance away, letting him have space. It was unusually rainy, and he didn't bring an umbrella.

He wanted it to just be a bad dream. He wished that he could just pinch himself, and everything was back to normal. But no. The cold hard truth was right there in front of him.

It was almost too much for him to handle. Just a day ago, Shark was spending another day at school. Most teenagers didn't go from that to mourning their relatives this quickly.

Shark looked down, hiding his face. He didn't know why, since the other two were far enough away that they couldn't see them. The boy wasn't sure if the wet feeling was from the rain, or from his eyes. He clenched his fists, feeling his nails dig into his palms.

He had enough. With a little effort, Shark turned away, making his way to the entrance to the graveyard. Amy and Dudley followed him, but he didn't look at them.

Knowing this was the final resting place for his family was a bitter pill to swallow for Shark.

...

That evening, Amy left as soon as she had helped the teen pack. Shark stared at the now empty Racket Mansion. This big house, and all he had with him from it was a suitcase of clothes.

"Let's get movin', Shark! My house is on the other side of town, and I'd like to get there before it gets real late!" Shark heard him, but he just chose to ignore him. He stood there, envisioning his life before all this.

It was dysfunctional, insane, rambunctious, he was often ignored...but they were his family. He still cared about them. Well, most of them, but still. All of that was what he knew.

Slowly, Shark turned around, and slowly made his way to Dudley's truck. He threw his suitcase into the back, not caring if his clothes flew out. The teen then got into the passenger's seat and buckled in.

He didn't look at Dudley the whole ride there. Any attempts of conversation were waved off and rebuffed.

Shark simply sat and looked out the window, watching the houses go by...

* * *

Take note I'll be trying to update my other stories I'm writing, so don't expect very frequent updates. I will try my best, though!

-Emerald-Shadow-Knight


	3. Lost Little Guppy

Note: There will be cuss words used in this chapter. Most likely the F word. Just warning you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sims 3.

* * *

The two finally made it to Dudley's house. Compared to Racket Mansion, this place was a freakin' dump. Shark could've sworn the kitchen at his old house was bigger than this whole place combined.

"I don't have a bed set up for ya yet, so I reckon you'll have to sleep on the couch. Unless you wanna sleep in my bed, and I'll take the-" Shark stopped him from talking by putting a finger up.

"I can take the couch. Your bed probably smells weird anyway." The teen grabbed his suitcase out from the back and practically dragged himself inside.

The inside, believe it or not, looked even worse than outside. The walls looked dingy, the decor looked tacky, and the place just wasn't up to most standards. Shark glared as he looked around. Dudley went off somewhere, probably to grab something.

When he came back with a pillow and quilt, the older man arranged it into a makeshift bed for the teen. Shark just watched silently as he did so.

"There we are. Hopefully that'll do 'til I get you a decent bed. Now," Dudley patted Shark on the shoulder, "I reckon I ought to get some sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day." Shark stood there, not saying anything. "If you like, you can watched TV until you decide to go to bed."

Shark watched as Dudley turned the lights off and went to bed. When he was gone, the boy slumped onto the couch. He wanted to watch TV, but then he probably wouldn't get any sleep.

Quietly, Shark wriggled out of his shirt and threw it aside. He didn't care if it got dirty. He had other shirts with him, anyway. He tried to get comfortable under the too-thick quilt, but the damn thing just weighed down on him.

In the end, the boy just got tired of it, and kicked the blanket off with a grunt. He then stared up at the ceiling.

He couldn't believe this was his home now. Given what he was used to, it was a hell of a downgrade.

...

"I'm home!" Goodwin walked into the house, with an armful of groceries. As always, the TV was blaring, with his roommate lazing on the couch. "I stopped by the store on the way. What do you want for an admittedly late dinner?"

"Whatever you're not having," the lump on the couch retorted. Goodwin sighed. He always had to make things difficult, just like when they first started living together.

"Sinbad, come on. I need an answer." The other man sat up and leaned on the couch. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes on the table. Goodwin watched, to his chagrin, as he lit up.

"And I _gave _you one, you fucking dweeb." Sinbad took a long drag on his cigarette, not bothering to use an ashtray. The younger man shook his head in frustration as he flicked ash onto the furniture.

"Oh, don't do that. You could get cigarette burns on the couch! I don't want to get a new one! Now, help me put this all away." Sinbad snorted, causing smoke to blow through his nostrils like an amused dragon.

Goodwin handed him a bag, instructing him on what went where. Sinbad simply looked at him, with his cancer stick in his mouth. Of course, he just stood and watched as Goodwin did everything.

When Goodwin looked back, he showed how frustrated he was that the other man had yet to even move. "What? Aren't you going to do what I told you?"

Sinbad took the cigarette out of his mouth, looked down with an unchanging expression, and blew a huge cloud of smoke into Goodwin's face. The younger man cringed. He certainly didn't appreciate the smell of burned tobacco floating around him. He leaned back and waved it all away.

"That's disgusting, Sinbad!" He said as he glared through the smoke. Sinbad, as expected, smirked at him, looking rather satisfied with himself.

"Why do I bother...?" Goodwin mumbled as he took the last bag and put everything away. "You know, Amy saw my eye today."

Now it was Sinbad's turn to get frustrated. "Jeez, I said I was sorry! Can't you let it go?" The man threw up his hands, then left for his room. As soon as the door slammed rather loudly, Goodwin was alone.

Goodwin sighed. Maybe he really didn't know why he hung around this guy. He slumped down at the nearby table and called the first number he could think of. He really needed some cheering up right now. The female voice that picked up indeed perked him up.

"Hi Jenni! Sorry I'm calling so late, and...oh, you were about to call me first? What's wrong?" The news that his lover gave him turned his face almost as pale as his hair. He was shocked enough to drop his phone.

It was a while before Goodwin came to his senses.

...

Monday couldn't come soon enough. Shark was slowly making his way through the hallways at school, towards his locker. Some of the other kids looked at him, and a few even whispered. Shark didn't care. They could whisper all they wanted. It wasn't his fault news in Twinbrook traveled quickly.

Shark dragged his backpack behind him, as the expression on his face showed he clearly didn't want to associate with anyone. He kicked open his locker and got everything he needed for his first period class.

Last night, he had to listen to his uncle and someone he didn't recognize talk about inheritance. Of course, as the surviving (and firstborn) child, he got everything. However, since he wasn't quite old enough, Dudley was in charge of it until he was.

The boy didn't really listen. All he knew was that he'd get a good amount of money. Chances were he probably wouldn't really want it. All he did was tune in and out, and stayed quiet until he was prompted to speak.

He couldn't get out of there fast enough. For now, he just wanted to have a semi-normal life, in wake of everything. Just try to have a normal school day, and not worry about the situation at home.

Grabbing his book and papers, Shark meandered to class. The other students had gone to class already, and the bell had already rang. As soon as he walked into the door, any hope of coming in quietly was dashed.

"Mister Racket, why exactly are you late? Lingering about in the halls, weren't you?" He forgot he had this old bag for more than one class.

"Uh, sorry, ma'am." Shark scratched the back of his head. He didn't want the other students looking at him like a kind of criminal.

"Sorry is no reason for being late, young man. Now, where is your homework?" The teacher looked at him as if challenging him. "I can only assume you 'forgot'. Now what would be your excuse_ this _time?"

Now Shark was just mad. "I went to my family's funeral!" He shouted. "I didn't do my homework because people I cared about died! That enough of a reason for you, you old hag?!"

The classroom was deathly silent. The teacher was stunned by her student's outburst, and could only watched as Shark stomped to the back of the room to take a seat.

"Well, then. I suppose we should begin today's lesson..." Shark was sure he would get in trouble for talking back a teacher. Whatever, then. He could take it.

...

The rest of the day went relatively normally. Shark was glad. He didn't want to associate with anyone else, and he wanted to sit alone at lunch. If it ostracized him from the student body, so be it.

He sat at the back of the bus on the way home. He listened to the rest of the teenagers chatter away about pointless things. None of it would matter in a few years. At least, Shark didn't think so.

When the bus stopped at his house, Shark then suddenly clambered off, and onto the front lawn. He glared at the driver as he turned away.

The house was dark, and empty. The truck wasn't in the driveway, so Dudley wasn't home. Shark turned the kitchen light on, and saw the phone's answering machine light blinking. The number 2 was flashing like a warning light.

"Who the hell would be calling us...?" Shark pressed the button, and listened to the first message.

_"Hi, Shark," _Amy's voice spoke through the machine, _"just checking up on you. I hope things are doing well with you and Dudley! You need anything, just call, and I'll get to you as soon as I can!"_

Her message ended, and the other one, this one from Dudley, began.

_"Shark, something came up at the station, and I had to leave for a while. Dinner's in the fridge. Stay outta trouble, all right, bud?" _Shark scoffed at the second message. As if he could. Trouble seemed to follow the Rackets wherever they went.

At least Dudley had the decency to make food. The teen yanked open the fridge door, and sure enough, a plate with a prepared hamburger sat waiting for him.

Shark sighed. Normally, the sight of his favorite food caused his mouth to water. If it were made by Uncle Dudley, though? Chances were he didn't want it even if it was made for him. Food was food, though. Grabbing the plate, he shuffled to the table, not bothering to nuke the cold burger in the microwave.

...

Amy was watching TV when she heard the doorbell ring. She wasn't expecting anyone at this time. She probably thought it was her neighbor coming to ask her out.

She was surprised when it turned out to be Goodwin.

"Goodwin? What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost." The man shook his head, then looked at her with a shaky grin.

"Nothing like that, Amy. Um...Remember the other day, how I said we're friends?" Amy nodded slowly, as she led Goodwin to her couch and sat down with him. "Um... Can I tell you something?"

"Go ahead, pal. Like you said, we're friends." The young woman watched as her visitor swallowed and took a shaky breath.

"All right, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. Don't tell Sinbad, don't tell Marc, and don't let Jenni know I told! Just...keep it a secret. If this gets out around town, we could all be in trouble. I'm only telling you because I trust you."

Amy wasn't sure about that part with Jenni. Most best friends didn't keep secrets from each other. "All right. Spill then."

Goodwin looked at her, shivering. "You know how Jenni and I said we'd wait until we were married? Um, well...we may have...given into urges and now..." He looked at Amy, scratching his cheek and looking sheepish. "She's...Jenni's pregnant, Amy."

...

Shark glared at the paper of math problems in front of him. All he wanted was to throw the papers out the window. Instead, he just wrote numerical answers to the complicated equations he thought were probably right. If it were up to him, he'd not do them at all.

In fact, he actually considered dropping out altogether. Of course, now that wouldn't be an option. After writing down enough answers, he threw the booklet of homework aside, letting it hit the wall.

He slumped into the sofa and watched TV until his uncle came home.

"Evenin', Shark! Sorry I'm home so late. Had something come up with an investigation, and well, duty calls." Shark shrugged. "So how was school?"

"Fine, all fine," the teen said in a monotone voice. Dudley took his hat off and scratched his head.

"It's tough gettin' old, bud," the older man said as he fanned himself with his hat. "So what are we watching here?"

"Like I know." Shark just randomly flipped the television to some action movie. Besides a lot of explosions and half-naked women, he really didn't know what it was about.

"Don't you reckon you should watch something a little less...intense?" Dudley got his answer in the form of Shark getting up and throwing the remote at him.

"Watch what you want. I'm taking a bath." Dudley just watched as his nephew shuffled towards the bathroom.

He was honestly not sure what he was doing wrong. He knew the two of them were always on bad terms. Still, he was trying to reach out to the boy in his time of need. Shark, however, just kept pushing him away.

Dudley knew this sort of thing didn't fix itself overnight, but at the least, he wanted Shark to know he was there for him.

He was, after all, the only family the boy had left. Maybe in time, Shark would come around.

* * *

I wanted to update this along with another story, since I don't like slipping up with the updates. You know the drill.

-Emerald-Shadow-Knight


	4. Fish Out of Water

Thing to note: I have no definite schedule, so don't expect regular updates.

Disclaimer: Sims 3: Ambitions belongs to EA.

* * *

_"Shark...Shaaaark..." Shark was surrounded by water. Dark, yet clear and cold water. He felt his lungs aching. Several eerie voices called to him, though the water around them distorted their speech.  
_

_"Shark! Join us! You know you want to..." The teen felt their ghostly hands take hold of his arms. All six of them looked upon him with their blank white eyes. He wanted to scream, he tried to struggle, he just wanted away from them.  
_

_No luck. It was as if the more Shark struggled, the stronger their grip seemed to become. One pair of hands then took hold of Shark's hair, another took hold of his neck. He shook his head, telling himself no.  
_

_It was no use. The ghosts of the Racket family wanted their boy to join them. It was no fair he got to live. _

_Shark was pulled down into the dark depths with them. Then, and only then, did he let out an underwater shriek. The resulting bubbles floated harmlessly to the surface of the water. _

_The poor child's cry for help had gone unheard._

_..._

Shark awoke with a jolt. He looked around to find himself back at Dudley's house. His breathing was unsteady, and he found himself covered in sweat.

"It was just a dream..." The boy covered his face with his hands, taking a deep breath to calm himself. The house was dark, and judging from the snoring in the other room, Dudley was fast asleep.

Quietly, Shark got up and shuffled to the bathroom. He didn't realize he was shaking until he turned the water to the sink on. When the sink was about half-full, he began to splash water onto his face.

No luck. All this succeeded in doing was making his face wet and cold. Shark slid down to the floor and assumed the fetal position. The boy couldn't control his quiet weeping.

...

Shark didn't remember falling asleep again. He did remember waking up back on the couch. It was barely morning, and on the TV was a note. Shark concluded that Dudley wrote it. Snatching it off, the teen scanned the words.

_Shark:_

_I had to go in early again today. Your lunch is on the counter. Behave!_

_-Uncle Dudley_

_P.S. Next time, bud, try not to fall asleep on the bathroom floor._

Shark looked at the note, before crumpling it up into a ball and chucking it. He then dragged himself to the counter and stared at the brown paper bag. Sniffing the contents, Shark figured it was the typical PB&J and juice box.

Without hesitation, he threw the bag into the garbage. What was he, six? Cafeteria food was crappy, but he would rather have that than...whatever Dudley whipped up. Looking up at the clock, the teen saw that the school bus would be here in about two hours.

He figured he had time to call someone. Grabbing the phone off the receiver, Shark dialed Amy. Hearing the ring tone was just about agony for him. At some point he wondered if she was even up yet.

"Hello?" Hearing that familiar voice sent a rush of relief through his system. He took a deep breath before allowing himself to speak.

"Hi, Amy. What's up?"

...

Pregnant. The word hit Goodwin like a knife. He almost wanted to pinch himself and wake up. But no. There was no waking up from this. He had gotten his girlfriend pregnant.

Jenni Jones-Brown was carrying his child. The very thought made him lose focus. Today, paperwork that normally could be done in seconds took at least five minutes.

Goodwin almost wanted to throw up, but he was sure Jenni had been doing enough of that. He could feel himself shaking, just like he was when he broke the news to Amy.

At least she had been understanding. When he told her, Goodwin could almost see the color drain from her face. She then held him close and whispered that she'd do what she could to help.

Right now, he was simply trying to get through the day. Then he'd go see her.

The white-haired man rubbed the back of his head. Sinbad had smacked him there unusually hard this morning. The other man's goodbye usually consisted of said headsmack and a "Later," followed by some derogatory nickname. Today Goodwin was apparently a douche.

"Mornin', Officer Goode," he heard his partner Dudley say. Goodwin looked up to see him smiling down. The younger of the two couldn't help but smile.

"Ah! Good morning, sir. How are things with your nephew?" Dudley's smile faded as he scratched his cheek.

"Oh, the boy's stubborn as a mule! I keep trying to talk to him, but he just disregards me like I ain't worth his time." Dudley looked at Goodwin's face, closely inspecting it and changing the subject. "Say, that shiner of yours is healin' up pretty good."

"Thank you, Officer! I think it only _looked _bad, really. Looks can be deceiving, you know?" The older man smiled and nodded, then once again brought up something different to talk about.

For now, Goodwin was relieved that this could take his mind off his current situation.

...

Lunchtime was always quiet for Shark. Well, before, he and Lolly always fought for where to sit, then they ate glowering at each other. Now he didn't even have that.

So today, Shark was simply playing with the food he paid pocket change for. He took a few bites here and there, but otherwise he was really just letting this glorified barf go cold.

Talking to Amy helped him get through the morning. She admitted that she would be busy for a while, but he was never a bother to her.

He was staring down at his tray, when he heard a female voice that definitely wasn't Amy.

"Hi there!" He looked up and saw a tan girl with long hair standing in front of him. Several other teens, probably her friends, were standing behind her. "Mind if we sit with you? You look kind of lonely."

Shark looked at his empty table, then shrugged. "Go ahead." Immediately, the girl and her group took their seats surrounding him. Everyone but her dug in, grimacing at the slop that Shark was sure had a slight issue with it.

The teen looked at her, and he couldn't help but realize he never saw her except in the hallways during class. She didn't seem to take the bus.

"So I guess we never properly met before, huh?" She started talking seemingly forgetting about her tray.

"I'm Jade, and these are my friends. That's Jeffrey," she gestured to the boy with one eye covered, then to the girl next to him, "that's his girlfriend Chase, and the guy next to me is Newton," she said pointing to the dark-skinned boy eating and glaring around at the other tables. "And you're Shark, right?"

Shark looked down, as though he were ashamed to admit it. "Yeah, I am. Guess you've heard of me, or things my late relatives do. The Rackets?" The one called Jeffrey looked up. The one eye he had showing widened.

"So that guy that broke into my mom's kitchen and made a mess last year, that Bill Racket, he's related to you?!" Shark nodded slowly, and Jeffrey began to smile. "Dude, that was awesome! My mom freaked out like you wouldn't believe! How's that crazy old coot doing?"

The teen was about to state the obvious, when the person next to Jeffrey, the one called Chase, whispered into his ear. His face fell, and he looked back at Shark.

"Oh. Uh, normally I don't say these things to people I don't know that great, but...my condolences?" Jeffrey stuck his hand out, which Shark accepted and shook.

"Hey, let's get moving!" Everyone was interrupted by Newton, his eye twitching. "I'm starting to hear those snot-noses coming for their shift." He already got up to go, his tray clean.

Jade sighed. "If you say so, Newton." The other teens followed him, with Jade looking behind at Shark. "You coming?"

Shark looked down, sure he wasn't going to finish this crap, then quietly got up and joined the group.

...

After school got out for the day, Shark waved good-bye to his new friends (it turned out Jade rode her bike instead of riding the bus) and shuffled towards the house. The truck parked on the lawn signaled that Dudley was home.

And just like that, Shark's good mood evaporated, replaced by dread. He didn't really want to strike up a conversation. He stopped at the door to steady himself.

Today was just one big roller coaster. There were the ups, talking to Amy and meeting new pals. Now came the drop. Shark pushed the door open and threw his backpack to the floor.

"Well, afternoon to you, bud!" Dudley was sitting in front of the TV, writing something up on a notepad. Shark barely acknowledged him with a grunt. "Say, ain't your birthday comin' up?"

"Yeah, so?" To Shark and his now dead sister, birthdays were simply another day of the year. Each one came and went without much fanfare, if it was remembered at all.

"Well, don't you reckon you'll be wantin' somethin' for that day? Anythin' at all?"

"Yeah. Leave me the hell alone!" The teen was pretty sure his uncle would forget his birthday anyway. Dudley's mustache twitched as he frowned slightly.

"Hrmm...Well, if that's what you want, sport." Dudley went back to writing. Shark did his own thing, and pulled his homework out of his bag. Not wanting to share a room with his uncle, he went into the bathroom and sat in the tub.

Lousy Dudley. Why'd he care if Shark got another year older? As long as it was like all the other birthdays, with the two keeping their distance, things were good.

...

Amy stood next to the pile of clean clothes in the hamper next to her, which were practically demanding that they be folded. It sucked that her old co-worker (who admittedly never really showed up that much) was now dead. Now she really did have to do all this by herself.

But, well, if she was to become a stylist, she may as well figure out what not to wear, by seeing it all in some way.

Of course, career choices were really the least of her troubles. There were other, more pressing matters at hand. Friends were mourning the loss of their families, friends were getting pregnant, friends weren't making the first move, and a whole slew of other potential problems.

The young woman tried to properly fold a batch of T-shirts, but after a few too many sleeves in the wrong position, she gave up and sat down. She pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through any new messages.

Of course, there was one from her neighbor Marc, which made her smile. Then another from that bitch Gala, which caused Amy to snort in anger, like the animal her surname was. Amy went through the rest of them, seeing nothing too interesting.

The young woman then went to her contacts list, selecting _Jenni Jones-Brown _and sending a message asking for a shopping day. Then, she scrolled down and selected _Shark Racket. _His message to him was a bit more different:

**Write up a list for any presents you want. You're getting something, like it or not.**

**-Amy**

Satisfied with her slight snark, Amy sent the message, then shut the phone off. She then sighed and stood back up, resuming the thing she was being paid for.

"Twinbrook's a weird town sometimes," she said to herself as she got started on some jeans, "And something tells me I'm not going to like these next few months."

* * *

I figured, once again, to update this with another story I've been writing. I'm also trying to use the traits Sims have in-game as part of their personalities. (Though Shark's is a bit hard, given his are mostly romantic traits, but I do my best.)

-Emerald-Shadow-Knight


	5. Turn Pike, Turning Point

I might be a little bummed, because I recently finished one of my other stories, and so many people seemed to like it. Still, I'll keep writing this one, as well. Not to worry.

Disclaimer: Sims 3 belongs to EA/Maxis.

* * *

The next week or so passed rather uneventfully. Shark dragged his way through school, checked up with Amy, and spat some sort of insult at Dudley. He would then do his homework, call one of his friends, and go to bed to start over.

On this particular morning, he was unusually groggy when he awoke. In his half-awake state, Shark looked around the unusually clean-looking room. Before he got up to see if Dudley was still home, the phone vibrated, signaling an incoming text. The bright screen hurt the teen's eyes.

All the message said was, "_look outside."_ Shark dragged himself off the couch, wrapping his blanket around him. He shuffled out to the front door, and looked through one of the big windows.

There was Amy, standing on the lawn. She was holding a rather large-looking bag and waving at him.

"Morning, sleepy-head!" She said with a smile on her face. Shark returned her cheeriness as best as she could, giving her a tired smile. He motioned for her to come into the house, as he went back in to get changed.

Amy made herself welcome, as she set her inventory down onto the table. Cappuccino and donut, small birthday cake, wrapped present, numeral candles...everything was there. All she needed was a lighter.

The woman was searching the kitchen for one, when Shark came out in a T-shirt and shorts. Amy took notice of his get up.

"Hey, isn't that the outfit I got you?" Shark nodded. "It looks great on you! Fits you perfectly." The teen blushed at the genuine compliments, then looked up at the things she brought.

"Yep, that's all for you, birthday boy! Except..." Amy turned around and grabbed her coffee and pastry, "that-that's my breakfast. I didn't want to waste bags, so..." She nervously scratched her head and laughed. "The rest is yours, though!"

Shark watched as she pulled out two candles in the shape of a one and an eight, and stuck them into the cake. She dug into a drawer and found a box of matches, lighting them in front of him.

"Normally, I'd get a bunch of people to sing Happy Birthday, but it's just me, and I sing about as well as a cat in heat, so..." Shark nodded.

"If you're not drunk, passed out, screaming at cars in the street, or forgot it's my birthday, it's good." Amy winced at what he just described. She could only imagine what his early birthdays were like.

"Now, hurry up and eat. I'm taking you out on the town today!" Shark looked up at her in confusion, before she clarified. "And before you ask, apparently today was a teacher inservice, so no school! You're free the whole day! How's that for a birthday gift?"

...

Goodwin was so bored. Day after day was nothing but paperwork. And after that, he had to check up to make sure Jenni and the baby were all right. He'd check his phone during work, but then he'd probably get in trouble with Officer Sargeant.

Granted, the man actually wanted to be something else, but this way, he might still get the chance to save lives. He went through as much as he could before going out for break.

Quietly, Goodwin grabbed his bag of lunch and strolled down the hall of prison cells. He looked in each one, seeing them empty, until he happened upon a familiar face. Said face was shoving a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it.

"You know, prisoners aren't allowed to smoke in here," he said matter-of-factly. Sinbad turned to look at him, glaring.

"Yeah, well, I'm getting released at the end of the day, so your rules are stupid." Goodwin rolled his eyes.

"What did you get in trouble for this time? Shoplifting?" The other man took a drag before blowing smoke through his nostrils. Goodwin wasn't sure how Sinbad could do that without burning any of his insides.

"I don't see why it's your problem, Goody Two-Shoes," Sinbad said as he flopped onto his back, avoiding eye contact.

Goodwin sighed in exasperation. "Why don't you tell me anything?" He said, beginning to lose his patience.

"Why don't you butt out and mind your damn business?" The older man turned away from the one on the other side of the bars.

"You are such a difficult man, Sinbad Rotter!" Goodwin said, resisting the urge to stomp his feet.

"Well, thank you!" Goodwin had enough with this nonsense. He walked off, almost wanting to spit an insult behind him. He settled, however, with hearing a quiet, "Awww, fuck. That was my last one."

...

Amy made sure to stay on the right side of the road this time. Shark was oddly smiling, enjoying the new music player she got him as a birthday gift.

"Hey, you mind if I make a quick stop at the police station? I gotta post bail for someone." The teen's smile faded, then nodded. Chances were he'd probably have to go in with her, and see Dudley.

Amy grabbed her purse and got out of the car. Shark reluctantly followed her. He didn't want any passerby to think he was trying to carjack her or anything.

The inside of the police station smelled...oddly cold. Shark didn't really notice it the last time he was here. Then again, it probably always did, what with the metal from the prison bars and all.

"Wait here. I have to go see him." Amy walked towards the presiding officer, counting the money in front of her. Shark was startled by his uncle patting him on the shoulder.

"Well, mornin', bud! How's your day goin'?" The teen scowled a bit, staring at Dudley's overly cheery expression.

"It's going fine." Shark resisted adding _'not like you care'_ to the end of his sentence.

"Well, that's great! Say, when you get home tonight, try lookin' under that couch of yours. I been meanin' to clean that out, but ya know..." Shark's uncle put a hand on his hip and made a show of cracking something. "Aging tells me otherwise."

Shark rolled his eyes. Not only did he have to see Dudley, but now he had to do chores on his own birthday. What a nice present. He was thankful when Amy came back with the guy she was bailing out.

"Well, Mister Rotter!" Dudley saw him and crossed his arms. "I hope you learn your lesson. Maybe next time you try not to go and get yerself involved in any drug rings from now on, ya hear?"

"Yeah, whatever. Can I go home now?" Amy patted him on the back, leading him out. Shark followed them, leaving Dudley to return to his policing duties.

...

"Yo, Amy." Sinbad sat in the back of the car, reaching out his hand. "You mind? I sort of...ran out of contraband when I was in the slammer."

Amy sighed, then looked at Shark. "He wants cigarettes. They're in the glove compartment. Can you get them?" Shark quickly complied, opening the compartment and pulling out the little box. He handed them to the waiting hand.

"Hey, thanks." Sinbad lit one up and took a drag. "Gotta ask, Amy. Who's your ugly girlfriend?"

"That's Shark, idiot," the young woman said. "And it's _his_ birthday today." Amy made sure to let Sinbad know that Shark was indeed male, despite the long wavy hair.

"Oh, birthday boy, huh? What age you hitting today?"

"I'm eighteen now," Shark said while looking down at his feet.

"Really? Well, congrats on turning legal, man! Might ask you out sometime, if you're single." Amy snorted, and giggled. Sinbad then retorted. "Hey, I'm just kidding! Mostly. Don't swing that way. You're still kinda cute, though."

"Uh...thanks?" Shark turned to look ahead, deciding to ignore Sinbad for the rest of the ride.

...

After the sun had set (but before curfew was in effect), Amy dropped Shark off at his house. Shark thanked Amy for the wonderful birthday he had, and grudgingly said goodbye to Sinbad.

The house was quiet and dark. Uncle Dudley was probably out getting things. The teen didn't care, of course. He sat down at the table and scrolled through his phone messages.

All of them were Happy Birthdays from the other kids at school. Shark was glad that they actually knew when it was. He made a note to catch up with them the next day he saw them.

When all his messages were read, Shark looked at the couch and sighed. He may as well get started on cleaning under it. He walked over, got on his knees, and shoved his hand under the couch.

He hadn't been searching long when he felt his hand bump something large. He took a hold and pulled it out from under the couch. Shark looked it over, seeing that it was an oddly-wrapped package.

"What the hell is this doing under there..." Undoing the wrapping, a beautiful looking, custom made guitar appeared. Shark's eyes widened as he marveled at it.

It wasn't a crappy second hand one from the consignment store. It was brand new. No broken strings, no chipping fretboard, it was perfect. And it was for him.

Shark looked over at the discarded wrapping, and noticed a letter attached. He read it, and the words seemed to leap out at him:

_To Shark:_

_I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I hope this will do._

_I know things have been tough since the drowning, but I know you're a strong boy._

_This affected me as well. I only want what's best for you. I hope eventually this will come to pass, and everything will be all right again. _

_Happy Birthday, bud!_

_-Uncle Dudley_

Shark dropped the letter, in a mix of shock and realization. It all was rushing to him, almost as if it hit him in the face.

"He did remember my birthday..." It wasn't just the whole birthday thing, actually. For the whole time since moving in, life with Dudley was...different.

Shark noticed that the whole time since moving in, Dudley paid attention to him. Back at Racket Mansion, he and Lolly were lucky to have garnered any attention at all.

Uncle Dudley seemed to actually care about how Shark's day went. He always wanted to know what was going on. And how did the boy respond each time? By insulting, mocking, and pushing him away.

"He..." The teen set his new present down gently, beginning to tremble. All the years of venom and hatred against his uncle now seemed wasted. Once feeling a strange joy from the actions then, Shark now felt guilt. He felt hot tears stream down his cheeks.

"He really **does **care!" The boy stayed there, kneeling and crying. He was going on like a five-year-old who dropped his candy, rather than an eighteen-year-old high school student. He knew now.

If Dudley went to the trouble of caring for him, then Shark could at least...be a little nicer to his uncle? Starting tomorrow morning, he would stop with the horrible words, and at least try to be more civil.

After all, Dudley went through the trouble of taking in Shark, and he was really the only family Shark had left.

* * *

At this point, I hope it isn't too early for the two to start fixing their relationship. I really just needed to update this story.

-Emerald-Shadow-Knight


	6. Juvenile Conger

Disclaimer: Sims 3 belongs to EA.

* * *

It was early in the morning, a good sign the weekend would be lovely. The first few rays of sunlight peeked over the trees, as Shark sat on the patio. He strummed away at the guitar he received for his birthday.

He had to admit, it was nice. It was made just for him, after all. Still, it had been from Uncle Dudley.

Said Uncle was now making his way down the steps and to his car. Dudley gave a friendly wave and smile to Shark as he left to go run errands. Shark bit his tongue, taking care not to say anything derogatory about his uncle.

When Dudley backed out of the driveway and drove off, Shark stopped playing and sighed.

"Typical..." He said to no one but himself, "I finally get the attention I wanted, and it's from the one person I didn't really want it from." Shark really was trying to be more civil to the man, but it was just so hard!

It was rather hard to build a foundation of trust with a man that left Racket Mansion years ago. Shark wasn't even sure if he was old enough to remember him living there at all.

The boy flopped onto his back, watching the few clouds go by. He simply allowed himself to zone out, trying to forget why he was even living here. He had to admit, it was a nice quiet place to think. However, he wished he didn't have to come here after seeing his family's drowned corpses.

Shark was about to drift off to take a nap when his phone started ringing. He scowled at having his good mood interrupted as he answered.

"Y'ello." Shark turned onto his side, scratching his stomach as he listened to the voice on the other end.

"Have you checked the children?" A raspy, eerie voice came from the other line. Shark was confused. He was about to angrily ask who the hell was calling, when the words were followed by a loud, raucous cackling. "I'm jackin' with you, man! It's me, Sinbad. You doing anything right now?"

"How'd you get my number?" Shark heard a sound like a "pffft" before the other man spoke again.

"How do you think, man? I asked Amy. She didn't seem to have a problem telling me what her ugly girlfriend's number was."

"I'm not a girl." Shark seriously considered also pointing out that he couldn't be that ugly. "Anyway, what did you need? My uncle's not home."

"Nothin', man. Just figured you wanted to hang out. I'm all alone, and that dweeb I live with is probably out with his woman. I'm assuming you ain't got plans for the day?"

"No."

"Great! Be there in a sec!" Before Shark could say anything, the phone clicked off.

...

"So? How far along are we?" Amy and Goodwin were sitting on a bench in the park. Some of the kids were out playing on the jungle gym, and a few teenagers were hanging out at the picnic tables.

"Well..." Goodwin looked around, making sure no one he knew was around to blab about the whole baby thing. He then pulled out a picture that seemed mostly black and white blobs. "I'm hearing about ten weeks."

"Wow! Won't be long before she starts to show." Amy marveled at the ultrasound picture. "You think her parents know?"

"I doubt it. Jenni's been telling me they fight a lot. I'm pretty sure they haven't even noticed. I don't think she wants to tell, anyway."

"Oh..." Amy gave the picture back to him. "You mean..."

"She doesn't want her parents to get blamed, it could reflect badly on me, other people in town might call her horrible names..." Goodwin buried his face in his hands. "I'm not sure if I can handle this, Amy!"

"Aw, come on, Goodwin. It's early enough to think of something. Maybe you can elope and...I don't know, say the baby came early!"

The man chuckled. "I don't know if that would work. But you're right, it is early. I'm sure we'll think of something."

The two stood up, and Amy took Goodwin to her car to drive him somewhere else. "Come on. Let's go find Jenni, and maybe we can go shopping or see a movie or something."

...

Shark was casually watching TV when he heard noises outside. He figured he was just hearing things, and stayed where he was. Then they got a little more specific.

"Aww, fuck! I just got that paint job done!" The boy looked outside, but where he was sitting didn't quite offer a good enough view.

Shark got up and looked out the window, seeing Sinbad grabbing a hold of his short hair and clearly raging. The mailbox had flown to the other side of the lawn. It now lay as a pile of scrap metal and splinters. A black truck with flame decals was parked out front.

Sinbad was going off in a tirade of profanity when the teen came out to investigate. He stopped as soon as he saw him.

"Oh! Uh...hey. You hear any of that?" The older man almost looked as though he were challenging Shark to tell the truth. The teen simply shook his head and said, "not really."

"Good. Now hop in. I ain't gonna willingly stand on cop property all day, you know."

...

"Now let's see..." Dudley looked over his to-do list for the day. He had to go to the grocery store, then the bookstore. Then he had to make sure he got what he needed to make dinner tonight when he got home.

Well, he already did all that. It was just that lately, he had to remind himself to get enough for him and Shark.

To be honest, he still wasn't used to having a teenager around the house. He often avoided the places the Racket clan frequented in the past. If it was absolutely necessary to do so, then he visited.

He sat in his truck, letting it run while he thought over what was the closest location. Outside, he could hear two people arguing about what their reason for divorcing each other was.

Dudley heard about their messy divorce. He didn't understand why they still lived together. But then again, he had never been married. He never could find the right woman for him.

The man figured maybe he could go out and find someone when Shark moved out. For now, the boy was his priority.

Said priority seemed to act a bit differently around him lately. Most days, the teen always spoke some sort of biting insult to him. However, Shark never said anything nasty this morning. Dudley wasn't sure if he was to be surprised or worried.

He had to admit, it was a nice surprise. Maybe Shark realized it was better not to resist his attempts at friendship. Dudley hoped things improved this well in time.

...

"What are we doing out here, Sinbad?" Shark had noticed the older man had driven them out to the middle of nowhere. Sinbad was rummaging around in the back for something.

"You'll see, loser." Sinbad grabbed what looked like a pistol and hopped onto the ground. He loaded the gun and pointed it at something in the distance. By instinct, Shark ducked down so he wouldn't get in the way.

Of course, he was nowhere near the bullet's range. Shark looked back up and heard a metallic _clang _in the distance. Sinbad walked over to get a better look at his target. He smirked.

"All right! Normally I don't get one on the first try." He handed the still smoking gun to the teen. "Here, you give it a try. Don't drop my gun. If you do, ain't no telling what I'll do to your face."

Shark stood where he did, and tried adapting the stance Sinbad did. However, his grip was too shaky with one hand. Even when he held it with two hands, it was difficult. The other man noticed this, and shook his head as he rolled his eyes.

"Didn't them parents of you ever teach you how to defend yourself? Hold a gun like that, you may as well blow your own head off. Here, I'll show you." Sinbad stood behind Shark, and reached in front of him to hold the gun.

Shark wasn't sure why, but for some reason, having Sinbad behind him felt awkward. He tried to focus on the cold metal in his hands, letting the older man take control, and aimed.

By instinct, Shark pulled the trigger. The shot that fired gave an answering _clang. _Shark looked ahead, trying to see what he hit. Sinbad did the same, then whistled.

"I never get that one! You got that on your first try! Dude, Old Lady Marigold would've been proud." Shark's face turned white at hearing his grandmother's name. "That old bat had sharpshooting skills like you wouldn't believe!"

"Grandma?" Shark lowered the gun. "Grandma knew how to shoot a gun?"

Sinbad froze. "Grandma? What's your last name again?" He gave Shark a look that almost challenged him to answer.

Shark swallowed. "Racket." The redhead's eyes widened, as if in realization. "Why?"

"Uh...nothin', just...I might have worked for your granny at one point, it's...you really don't wanna know." Sinbad started walking back toward the truck. "Come on, I'll take you to my place. I'll explain what I want when we're there."

* * *

It's a bad place to end, but I figured I needed to update. Hopefully next chapter will be a bit better.

-Emerald-Shadow-Knight


	7. Mating Season

So apparently they recently announced Sims 4. I'm not sure whether to be excited or upset. Can I be both?

Note: Chapter contains implied sexual content. Refer to previous chapter for an idea of who.

Disclaimer: Sims 3 belongs to EA.

* * *

Shark didn't really know what Sinbad's house looked like. He saw parts of it through the window whenever he visited Amy, but that was about it. He'd almost expected the place to have a grungy exterior.

But no. It looked like any other home, if not a bit sparse.

"Yeah, so..._Bienvenue à la maison de _I can't fuckin' speak French," Sinbad said, badly pronouncing what French he did say. "Goodwin's the intro dude. I usually just sit on the couch and watch porn."

He motioned around the room, indicating to Shark to do what he wanted. "Make yourself at home, and keep it clean. Or trash it, I don't care. I ain't cleaning it, anyway." Shark eyed the television at his left, and made a beeline for it, as Sinbad made his way towards the kitchen.

"You got any video game systems?" The teen frowned at seeing the TV hooked up to a crappy VCR. One would at least have a DVD player in this day and age, and not something so primitive as this.

"No," was the blunt response he received. "Who the hell has time for those? I sure don't."

"Oh." Shark could hear the disappointment in his own voice, then figured it was best to change the subject. "So you knew my grandma?"

"Sure did. The old broad was nuttier than squirrel shit, but she took care of her boys." Sinbad threw some leftovers into the microwave and started it up. "Makes you wonder why she let your grandpa take all the credit."

Shark looked away, then felt compelled to ask. "What did my grandparents do, exactly? And was it so bad that they had to die with everyone else?"

The older man's face hardened into a stern glare. "You really think I'm gonna tell you that? Your granny made us all swear never to reveal the secrets of the trade. No one could blab, not even her own kids."

Sinbad's eyes drifted to the bedroom door next to the fridge. "Though...since you're here..." His face curled back into a devilish grin. "How 'bout you go in there for a bit? I'll be with you as soon as my dinner's ready and eaten."

Shark slowly got up, a bit wary, and made his way to the door Sinbad was pointing at, and let himself inside.

...

Amy and Goodwin found Jenni, all right.

They also found her bickering parents, doing what they usually had been doing since their divorce: bickering, of course. When Jenni saw them, she smiled and waved, which they returned.

The blonde girl then flinched when her mother's voice suddenly rose in pitch, with which her friend and boyfriend then followed suit. She stood up and joined them, covering her ears as she walked by.

"Hi, guys!" She said with a smile. She hugged Amy, and kissed Goodwin on the cheek. "Sorry you had to see that."

"Don't worry," Amy said. "I'm pretty sure I've heard worse from Goodwin's house." He nodded, confirming that what she said was true.

"At least your parents have an excuse for bickering. Sinbad will randomly pick fights with me if I so much as cook his steak wrong. It's nothing I can't handle, though," he added in case Jenni became worried.

"Anyway, think maybe you can get away from your parents for a while? Thought maybe we could take you out somewhere, how's that sound?" The blonde girl's face practically lit up with joy.

"Of course! Just let me tell my parents where I'll be." Jenni and Amy gleefully went back over and spoke of their new plans, as Goodwin stood behind and watched.

He knew full well what secrets his lady was hiding from them. He didn't know how they were going to break the news, if at all. Of course, Jenni couldn't hide it forever. Eventually, she was going to show.

Before Goodwin could mull over it further, the sight of his colleague and fellow cop distracted him. Seeing the girls explaining things to Jenni's mother and father, he made his way to greet him.

...

The room was dark, and cold. The curtains were drawn. Shark was nervous. He had no idea what to expect from someone who he didn't really know all that well. The boy couldn't help but shiver a little. A sleeveless arctic camo shirt and baggy denim pants weren't so ideal after all.

The noises outside the room grew a little closer. Shark's eyes drifted to the digital clock across the room. The red numbers loudly proclaimed 1:30 P.M. Hopefully Uncle Dudley wouldn't be sending out anyone to look for him.

Shark didn't hear the door open. He did notice the sudden bright light behind him, partially obscured by Sinbad's figure. The older man took a drag on his cigarette and blew smoke out.

"How you holding up? You ain't pissed yourself yet, right?" Shark couldn't figure out how to answer properly, so he simply nodded. Sinbad closed the door, only to flick on a lighter. He made his way to the other room, and lit a few candles that Shark hadn't noticed before.

"What...? Why'd you bring me here?" The teen then caught a whiff of a potent scent that was beginning to permeate the air around him. "And what's that smell?"

"Oh, yeah, forgot to mention. That incense can be pretty intense shit. Anyway..." Sinbad put out his lighter. Shark saw his face illuminated by the candlelight. He took in the older man's short red hair, his almost permanent scowl.

"You mind if I ask you a few personal questions?" Shark shook his head, hoping they wouldn't be too awkward. "Better not sugar-coat things, then. Something I want to know is, you still a virgin?"

Shark's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't think he'd be that blunt in question material. Sinbad crossed his arms and leaned in closer to him. "Come on, can't be that hard a question. You a virgin, or do you fuck half your school?"

The teen swallowed. "I'm a virgin." His face turned red as Sinbad smirked.

"Figured. You got that 'never been fucked' way about you. Shame, you're pretty cute." He reached out and gently ran his fingers up Shark's arm. The sensation sent chills up Shark's spine.

"What are you trying to get at?"

"I'm asking if you wanna do it. You're legal, and I ain't been laid for too damn long." Sinbad took the cigarette out of his mouth, blowing a huge cloud up in the air. He then threw what was left of his cancer stick onto the floor and stomped on it, grinding it into the floor. "So? You down to fuck?"

"I..." Shark clasped his hands together. "I thought you said the other day you didn't swing that way."

"Oh, I did? Well, here's the thing." Sinbad smiled, showing his teeth that had gone yellow from chain smoking. "I guess you could say...I lied. Well, half-lied."

Shark tilted his head in confusion. "How do you 'half-lie'?"

"You ever heard of something called 'bisexual'? Well, that's me. I said I didn't swing that way, because I actually go both ways. So now that you know, you wanna do it?"

Shark was about to give his answer when Sinbad elaborated. "See, I'm giving you a choice. I'll be honest, I'm known around town for doing a lot of shit." The older man began to count off the list of grievances on his fingers.

"Robberies, shoplifting, grand theft auto, drinking and driving, one or two drug rings in there, I think...but here's the thing. Any sexual crimes are out of the question."

Sinbad put his hands on Shark's thighs, and looked him straight in the eye. "I don't ever resort to rape or sexual assault. I'm a bad boy, not a soulless monster. Hell, I can't even be that bad. I just got caught with the wrong people and I got in too deep. Figured, if you can't beat them, join them. I just went with the flow, you know?"

"Still, that's why I'm giving you a choice. First is, you can say no and walk out of here. Then we can forget all this shit ever happened. Or..." Sinbad's smile now came to resemble that of a Cheshire cat's. "Say yes, and I can take you on the ride of your life. So what's your decision?"

Shark weighed his options. He had to admit, his first time seemed an uncertain and scary thing. On the other hand, he had nothing else to lose. He'd already seen things a person his age should never have seen. He didn't have to be home for a while anyway.

After thinking it over one last time, Shark gave his answer in the form of a shy, gentle kiss. Sinbad responded by pushing Shark onto the bed, and crushing their lips together more forcefully.

...

Uncle Dudley was delighted to see his co-worker outside of work. He was sitting down, looking over his purchases, when Goodwin took his place next to him.

"Well, afternoon to ya, Officer Goode!" He said. "Not often I see you out of uniform."

"Likewise, sir. What brings you to the park?" Goodwin sat up to make himself look less slouched.

"I'm just taking a break off my feet. Getting things ready. I can see you're spending time with a few pretty ladies, there." The white-haired man blushed, before nodding.

"Um, anyway, a different subject. How are things with your nephew? Do you think you'll ever tell him-" Dudley stopped him from speaking further, becoming unusually stern.

"That is something we agreed never to speak of, Officer. Remember the penalties? I'm aware you're wantin' to get another job, but you know the deal." Goodwin looked down, and nodded.

"He'll know when the time is right, anyway. Probably when things settle down more, after he graduates and such." The two sat in a brief silence, then creating small talk, until Goodwin's two companions showed up.

"Ready to go, Goodwin? Hi there, Officer Racket," Amy said, extending her usual friendly greeting to the older man. "Tell Shark I said hi, all right?"

"That I will, Miss Bull. He's always happy to hear from you, it seems." Dudley tipped his hat off to the three of them, watching them go off to their next location.

He looked down at his bags one last time, making sure he still had everything. He knew keeping secrets was wrong, especially from his own nephew, but then if he told outright, there was no telling how Shark would react.

He just reassured himself, the right time would come to tell the boy everything. Then, however he reacted, he would make sure to deal with the following situation.

He just wish it wasn't as hard as it was.

* * *

To Lady Cougar-Trombone: I've been meaning to try to give you more details about the story, but it appears you don't have private messages enabled.

And to the others: Thank you for the reviews. I apologize for making you wait so long for this chapter. And apologies if certain events that are in this chapter aren't to your liking.

-Emerald-Shadow-Knight


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